Are you 18 years old, have a backpack ready and want to see a bit of Europe without spending a fortune on travel? Mark these dates: from 1 to 15 October 2026 DiscoverEU returns, the initiative of the Erasmus+ program which offers eighteen-year-old girls and boys in Europe a pass to travel mainly by train across the continent.
It’s not the typical competition to watch from afar. It is a concrete opportunity designed specifically for those who turn 18 this year: if you were born between 1 January and 31 December 2008, you can apply and try to leave between March 2027 and May 2028.
The idea behind DiscoverEU is simple: to allow young people to really get to know Europe, cross borders, change languages, meet new people and discover different cities, cultures and landscapes. And do all this by choosing above all the most sustainable means of transport: the train.
How DiscoverEU works
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DiscoverEU is an action of the Erasmus+ program that offers selected young people a travel pass to be used mainly on European trains. Those who are chosen also receive a DiscoverEU discount card, which allows you to obtain reductions on various services during the trip: accommodation, cultural and sporting activities, local transport and other experiences.
But be careful: the pass covers the travel included in the initiative, but it does not mean that the entire holiday is completely free. For example, food, accommodation and other possible personal expenses remain to be considered, even if the DiscoverEU card can help reduce part of them.
In particular cases, such as for those who live on an island or in a remote area, means of transport other than the train may also be permitted.
Who can apply in the October round
Also for this second round of 2026 the following can participate:
From 2027 the United Kingdom will also join the Erasmus+ programme, which includes DiscoverEU.
To submit your application you will need to enter your identity card, passport or residence permit number in the online form and accept the declaration on honor required by the application.
Dates to mark immediately
The new application window will be open from 1 October 2026 at 12:00 until 15 October 2026 at 12:00 Brussels time.
When the round officially opens, on the portal 
DiscoverEU the button to participate will appear. Once you have filled out the application, you will also need to take a short selection quiz. In the case of a group application, it will be sufficient for the group leader to answer the quiz.
How much you can travel
If you are selected, you will be able to use the pass to travel for a maximum of 7 days over a total period of one month and the window in which it will be possible to leave is quite wide: from 1 March 2027 to 31 May 2028.
This means that you don’t necessarily have to organize everything immediately after the selection. There is time to choose the period, build an itinerary and decide which cities to cross.
Can we go with friends? Of course yes! You can apply alone or go in a group with a maximum of 4 friends, therefore up to 5 people in total, as long as everyone meets the requirements for this round. And in the case of a group application, the other participants will have to use the group leader’s application code.
It is also possible to get in touch with other travelers through the official DiscoverEU Facebook group and combine part of your itinerary with that of other selected boys and girls. Erasmus+ national agencies also organize meetings and exchange opportunities between participants before departure.
What if you have a disability or health problems?
DiscoverEU provides forms of assistance and support for those who have a disability or a health condition that could make travel more complicated. A point that is anything but secondary: the aim of the project is to make this experience as accessible as possible, preventing personal or mobility difficulties from automatically becoming a barrier to participation.
Because it’s really worth trying
Traveling through Europe means not only seeing new places, but also learning to move on your own, make decisions, change plans, ask for information in another language and deal with habits different from your own.
And there is also a precise environmental value. DiscoverEU favors the train precisely because it wants to encourage more sustainable forms of mobility and show that moving from one country to another does not necessarily mean taking a plane.
For a generation that will have to face the ecological transition firsthand, traveling in this way is also a small exercise in the future.
Green EU&ME | Project co-financed by the European Union
The opinions expressed, however, belong to the author(s) alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the European Union or of the Representation in Italy of the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the providing administration can be held responsible
